Bridge for musical instruments.



PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904.

A. D. GROVER. BRIDGE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.29, 1904.

NO MODEL.

WITNESSES Patented September 6, 1904:.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT D. GROVER, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

BRIDGE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,649, datedSeptember 6, 1904.

Application filed April 29, 1904. Serial No. 205,620. (No model.)

To all whom it may 6072067721.

Be it known that I, ALBERT D. GRovER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Malden, county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridges for MusicalInstruments, of which the following is a specification, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to so construct a bridge for musicalinstruments that it will be supported laterally and prevented fromtipping over sidewise from vibration of the strings or otherwise.

Another object of my invention is to provide one or more adjustabletransverse supports to a bridge provided with feet adapted to contactwith the top of the body part of the instrument and adapted to be movedlongitudinally to a point under any particular string to support thebridge laterally and to increase the volume of tone of the string underwhich the support is placed.

Referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of thisspecification, in which similar letters refer to similar partsthroughout the several views, Figure 1 represents a perspective view ofa bridge having an adjustable lateral support. Fig. 2 represents asectional end elevation on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isabottom plan viewof said bridge.

In the drawings, A represents the body part of the bridge, and A A thedownward-extending feet thereof, which contact with the top of themusical instrument. As will be noted, the form of the body part A iswedge shape, with the point out off, the body being narrower at the topthan at the bottom.

B is a transverse support which is provided with the feet B B and adovetail notch B in its upper portion adapted to lit thedownwardly-diverging walls of the wedge portion of the body part A. Thewedge-shapefeature is more clearly shown in the end elevation, Fig. 2.

C C C C represent a non-slipping material inserted in the feet of thebridge and the transverse support, which non-slipping material may becomposed of rosin melted to form the shape indicated, or it may beformed of glue having a rougher non-slipping substance, such as fineemery-dust or fine sandpaper-dust, mixed therewith. The object of thisnonslippable material is to present a rough surface that will cling tothe top or body part of the musical instrument.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the transverse support B may be movedfrom one end of the bridge to the other, as the wedge-shape portion ofthe body part A of the bridge is of uniform thickness from end to end.The body portion of the bridge is provided with the notch A in orderthat the support can be disconnected for packing.

The bridge shown in the drawings is pro vided with the transverse slotsor notches K K K K K, adapted to receive the strings of the instrument;but I do not confine myself to five notches, as the number of notches isimmaterial to the operation of my bridge and may be varied to suit theparticular instrument with which my improved bridge is used.

My invention may be embodied in other forms of bridges, the form alonebeing immaterial, as the essential features of the invention consist inproviding a lateral support for a bridge, as well as making the supportadjustable as desired, so that the support may be moved to a positionunder any particular string when it is desired to increase the volume ofits tone.

It being well known that the tone of the instrument is brought outthrough the vibrations of strings attached thereto under tension andbearing upon a bridge the feet of which are pressed upon the top of ahollow body adapted to accent or increase the volume of the tone due tothe vibrations of the strings, by increasing the contact-surface of thebridge within proper limits the volume of tone given forth by the stringis increased.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A bridge for stringedmusical instruments, provided with a lateral support attached to itsbody part and adjustable thereon.

2. A bridge for stringed musical instruments, provided with one or moreadjustable lateral supports attached to its body part.

3. A bridge for stringed musical instruments having a body part providedWith down- Wardly-divcrging wedge-shaped Walls; a lateral support forsaid bridge provided with an opening adapted to fit the Wedge-shapedWalls of the bridge and be secured thereto.

4. A bridge for musical instruments composed of a Wedge-shaped bodypart; a lateral support having a Wedge-shaped opening to fit said bodypart; and notches in the body part to permit the connecting anddisconnecting of the lateral support.

5. A bridge for stringed musical instruments, provided with a lateralsupport attached to its body part and adjustable thereon, the feet ofsaid bridge having recesses therein filled With rosin or rosincomposition, to prevent slipping.

6. A bridge for stringed musical instrul In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my 0 hand, in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses,this the 25th day of March, A. D. 1904.

- ALBERT D. GROVER. Witnesses:

R. P. ELLIOTT, H. M. KELSO.

